[The preliminary study on the hepatitis B virus infection rate of peripheral blood mononuclear cell in both HBsAg and HBeAg-positive pregnant women and its role in intrauterine transmission]

Objective: To study the hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection rate of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and the role of infected PBMC in the intrauterine transmission.
Methods: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was using for detection of HBV-DNA in PBMC of 52 both HBsAg and HBeAg positive pregnant women just before onset of labour, and HBsAg were detected in sera of their neonates by enzyme linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA) within 24 hours after birth.
Results: HBV infection rate of PBMC in these women was 46.2% (24/52). There was positive correlation between infection rate of PBMC and HBsAg titre of pregnant women (chi 2 = 4.59, P < 0.05), but no relationship between PBMC infection rate and neonatal HBV infection.
Conclusion: The possibility of intrauterine transmission of HBV by infected PBMC through transplacental passage was small.